Although I enjoyed the article, I have to take issue with one point...You state that it is your opinion that this is the best Att-Az mount available, yet you needed to fix the backlash issue. You may have the "best" Alt-Az with slow motion capability, but I think there are many qualified contenders for the title of "THE BEST"

I own several Universal Astronomics Mounts . I will put my Double-Star up against the T-Rex any day. It has no slow-motion cables, but I can guide a 10" Newt from the eyepiece at 200X in a light breeze, and keep the image in the middle of the eyepiece. With little practice it became obvious to me that I provided superior slow-motion control with this method vs the geared cables on inferior mounts.

There is zero backlash or sticktion on this mount. I have owned the Porta, Voyager, and EZ-touch mounts before my Double-Star and they aren't in the same class.

I have a small ED refractor that I use on a Dwarf-star mount; again the mount disappears when in use, and its just you and the object you are viewing. It only carries 10lbs,but its portability is unmatched. Another qualified contender is the Discmount.Although I have not used one to date, I have never heard a negative comment about it.As I said in the beginning, I did enjoy the article as well as all of the photo's Your article is a valuable contribution to this site Its too bad I don't live in NY anymore.. we could have arranged a head to head shoot-out that would be a fun article!!

I don't know your Double Star Mount, but I have myself the T-Rex and have seen 6 more T-Rex, non ever with any backlash. I have for a little Lunt a DwarfStar , very nice to work with.Have used many small and big AZ Mounts in past years, but non offered the combination of perfect features as the T-rex does. A Rock solid Platform for heavy scopes + slow motion+ computer and more. I use the T-Rex with 5" and 6" apos up to 400 power and still have a supersmooth motion.
Also the T-Rex is not only a perfect maschined and perfect working AZ Mount, it is also the nicest I have ever seen.
The T-Rex have worm and gears in both axis , so there is the choice to add stepper or servo motors and a Synscan Goto Handcontroller and convert it into a real Goto driven mount. Adding a Polar wedge, which is easy, will convert it then into a goto driven equatorial mount. No other AZ Mount I now have this possibilites, to take 1 pc of metal , add something and have all in once

That's cool Markus, I didn't know you could do all that. Still though .. A $3000 alt-az mount...about another $2000 or so in wedges, motors and computers and you have a jigsaw puzzle EQ mount for the price of an Astro-physics Mach1. My double star is a tank. It can hold 2 scopes for a total of 70 lbs, its waterproof! its virtually indestructible! It has Digital setting circles! and its $1200 cheaper than the T-Rex. My grandchildren will inherit it and I'll bet my soul that it still works flawlessly for them.

I think you are primarily focused on the price, which makes you biased when it comes to any other aspect of the Rex. What some folks don't understand is you can't put a price on something that makes you truly happy when you use it. So what if it's almost three grand. If you can enjoy it for many years, it's well worth it. I've handled the Double Star Mount, and it just seems like just another Synta special to me. If you are going to put something up against the Rex, you are gonna have to do A LOT better than that. After all, there's a reason it's only 7 bills.